Springfield Real Estate Listings and Information

Springfield is a township in Union County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to a record high of 15,817, and has a total area of 5.2 square miles, all of it land.

Springfield is located on the northern edge of Union County and is bordered by Millburn to the north in Essex County, by Union Township to the east, by Kenilworth to the southeast, by Westfield and Cranford to the south, by Mountainside to the southwest and by Summit to the northwest.

Springfield is popular choice for commuters who appreciate the quality of its schools, proximity to major thoroughfares, and the variety of housing choices. Residents enjoy an active YMCA, lush parks, an outdoor ice-skating rink, playgrounds, athletic fields, tennis courts, golf courses, and private swimming pools.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Springfield as the 85th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

The little known, but extremely critical, Battle of Springfield was fought here, the last of many battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in New Jersey.

Springfield is the home of the Baltusrol Golf Club, which was the host to the 2005 PGA Championship. It has also hosted other golf major championships, including the U.S. Open, held on seven occasions at Baltusrol. Golfweek magazine ranked Baltusrol as the 36th best in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Classic Courses" in the country.

All of the township's schools are named after famous Springfieldians. For instance, the township's High School is named after Jonathan Dayton, a famous regional patriot, and one of the signers of the United States Constitution.

Adjacent to Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School is Saint James the Apostle School, a Catholic school serving grades Pre K thru 8.

Union County College, a community college is located at nearby 1033 Springfield Ave., Cranford, NJ.

A number of major highways and roadways pass through Springfield, including Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, Route 24, and Route 124, as well as CR 509 Spur and CR 577.

New Jersey Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in New York City and to points in New Jersey including Newark Penn Station. Parking is available for a fee at a municipal lot near the center of town (Hannah Street and Center Street) and in the Duffy's Corner lot at Morris and Caldwell place, which provide easy access to all New Jersey Transit buses that run through town. Annual permits are available from the town hall.

Although there is no train station in Springfield, the Millburn and Short Hills New Jersey Transit stations are located nearby--although neither allows commuter-hour parking for out of town residents and very limited parking hours even on weekends. The closest stations that allow out-of-town residents access to parking are Maplewood and Summit--although both also are full to capacity very early on weekdays.

The town also runs a jitney M-F during morning and evening rush hours from the community pool to NJ Transit's Short Hills Station. NJ Transit buses #66 (to Newark) and #114 (to NY's Port Authority Bus Terminal) also run along the town's major roadways.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately ten miles east of Springfield.

Points of interest include--- Springfield Farmers Market -- is located at 101 Mountain Ave., Springfield (Parking lot at Johnathan Dayton High School) on summer Monday afternoons, 12 - 6pm.- Lenape Park -- is a 450-acre natural area, bounded by US 22 to the north and Kenilworth Boulevard to the south. Lenape is part of a "green chain" of parks that encompasses the Rahway River as it traverses Union County. Within the Park, Nomahegan and Black Brooks join the north branch of the Rahway as it flows south through various municipalities, eventually emptying into the Arthur Kill, a tidal strait that separates New Jersey from Staten Island. - Houdaille Quarry -- a Union County park, located off Mountview Road, is a favorite for birders.

Historically, Springfield was formed as a township in 1794 from portions of Elizabeth Township and Newark Township, while the area was still part of Essex County, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1798.

It became part of the newly-formed Union County in 1857, with portions remaining in Essex County used to create Millburn. Other portions of the township have been taken to form New Providence Township (in 1809, now known as Berkeley Heights), Livingston (1813), Summit (1869) and Cranford (1871).

Springfield was first settled in the early 1700’s, the first substantiated date being 1717, when the Briant family came from Hackensack. The tombstone of William Stites, who is buried in the old burying ground on Mountain Avenue, is dated 1729.

The early settlers often saw groups of Indians in the vicinity, particularly the Unamis, “ People Down the River”, who were one of the three groups of the Lenape Tribe.

Springfield is celebrated as the site of a Battle of Springfield between the American Continental Army and British forces on June 23, 1780. The British, under Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, advanced from Elizabethtown about 5 o'clock in the morning. They were opposed by General Nathanael Greene, but owing to the superior number of the enemy he was compelled to evacuate Springfield, which was then burned by the British. This battle prevented further advance on the part of the British.

Some historical landmarks from the Revolution still stand: the Cannon Ball House, which has since been converted into a museum was (according to the township's official website) "Built circa 1741 and served as a farmhouse at the time of the Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Springfield (June 23, 1780) the British used it as a hospital. ... It was one of only three buildings left standing when all others including the Presbyterian Church were set on fire. In later years the house became a tavern to serve travelers on Morris Ave Turnpike. The property was acquired by the Springfield Historical Society in 1955. It has become known as The Cannon Ball House because a cannonball was found on the west side embedded in a beam.

Springfield's First Presbyterian Church, which had been burned by the British, was rebuilt, using much of the original structure and it remains at 210 Morris Avenue to this day. The statue of a Continental Soldier out front is the smallest state park in New Jersey.

Only a primitive road connected Morristown and Elizabethtown until 1801, when a turnpike road was constructed between Elizabethtown Point and the Delaware River in Sussex County. To avoid paying a toll on the Morris & Sussex Turnpike, the natives built a parallel road and, appropriately, named it “Shunpike Road”.

The stone arches of the bridge on Morris Avenue at Van Winkle’s Brook date back to 1873. One of the main roads, known now as Springfield Avenue, was originally called Seven Bridges Road since that many were needed to cross the many small streams feeding into the Rahway River.

Primarily a rural area until the 20th Century, by 1830 Springfield had a population of 1653. There were 12 paper mills, one distillery, seven merchants, three taverns, five stores, and two churches. Much has changed, but much of the early history can be visited today.

Historical transportation--- The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community, and during the early 20th Century offered both freight and passenger service, but is currently out of service.- A trolley line called the Morris County Traction Company, ran trolley service through Springfield to/from Newark and Morris County, in the early part of the 20th Century.

Springfield Community Blog

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